What Matters Most
by SheWhoDefinitelyMustNotBeNamed
Summary: While in the care of Emily Prentiss, Jack and Henry are playing with a couple of Jack's action figures, when Henry accidentally breaks one; causing Jack to become very angry with him and ending their friendship. Can there friendship be saved? Read and find out.


**A/N: This story was requested to me by EmilyPrentissHotchner. So EPH, I hope you, along with everyone else who reads this story, likes it. Please enjoy the story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.**

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**"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." ~ Albert Camus**

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Emily Prentiss stood at the counter in the kitchen of her new apartment, making snow cones for Jack Hotchner and Henry LaMontagne. She had just moved back to D.C. from London and she was volunteering to watch the two boys; while JJ and Hotch were away on some case. As she made the snow cones, Jack and Henry were in the living room, playing with a couple of Jack's action figures that he had brought with him.

"Batman is the bestest superhero in the whole wide world!" Henry said as he held up the action figure.

"No one is better than Captain America!" Jack said while holding the other action figure.

"But Batman can fly."

"So can Captain America."

"I bet Batman can fly farther that Captain America." Henry said as he then threw the action figure across the room, causing it to hit the wall and one of its arms broke off.

Jack rushed over to the damaged toy and picked it up.

"YOU BROKE IT!" He angrily shouted at the four year old.

"I'm sorry Jack. I bet we can fix it." Henry said as he reached for the toy, but Jack pulled it away from him.

"DON'T TOUCH IT! YOU ALREADY BROKE IT ONCE! IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE BROKEN ANYMORE THAN IT IS!"

I said I was sorry."

"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE SO STUPID HENRY AND I NEVER WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND AGAIN! JUST GO AWAY!"

With tears in his eyes, Henry quickly ran out of the living room.

Hearing all the commotion, Emily went to see what was going on. When she entered the living room, there was no sign of Henry, but Jack was sitting on the floor, trying to fix his Batman action figure.

"Jack, where's Henry?" Emily asked.

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm not his friend anymore." Jack replied.

Emily then knelt down to Jack's level and said, "What happened between you and Henry?"

"He threw my Batman action figure at the wall and now he's broke. See?" Jack said as he held up the broken toy for Emily to see.

"Oh I see. Jack, I'm going to tell you something really important and I need to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay." Jack said.

"This broken toy can always be replaced. There are thousands of these out there in this world. You can always get another one just like it, but do you know what can never be replaced?"

"No, what?"

"Henry."

"Oh I really never thought about that." Jack quietly said.

Emily then took the toy from Jack's hand and said, "I understand that this is a really cool toy, but some day it won't matter to you. What matters most is your friendship with Henry. Tomorrow is never promised and Henry could be taken away in an instant. There's only one Henry LaMontagne and you can never get a copy of him. Now, do you really want to end your friendship over a toy?"

"No." Jack said. He then stood up, took the toy from Emily and walked over to the trashcan in the kitchen, tossing the toy into it. He then walked back over to Emily and said, "We have to go find Henry. I have to apologize to him."

Jack and Emily found Henry sitting in the hallway with his back to the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest and his hands over his eyes. He was shaking and Jack and Emily could tell that he was crying. Jack sat down next to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Henry?" Jack softly said.

Henry removed his hands from his eyes and looked at Jack with his tear stained face.

"I'm really sorry Jack." Henry said.

"It's okay. I can always buy another one. I'm really sorry I yelled at you." Jack said as he placed a comforting arm around Henry.

"Are we friends again?" Henry asked, hopeful.

"We're always going to be friends." Jack said as he smiled and Henry smiled back at him.

"Now that's what I like to see." Emily said as she observed the two children. "How about we go to the kitchen and get some snow cones? I think I hear them calling our names."

Jack stood up and extended his hand out to Henry.

"Let's get some snow cones, Henry."

Henry took Jack's hand and the two boys along with Emily, walked towards the kitchen.

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**"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."** **~ A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)**

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**End of story. I know it seems a little short, but I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you thought of it. **


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